Three students from the are spending one year focusing on critical marine policy issues in Washington, D.C. representing the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) as 2026 .

Gabrielle Ellis

completed her PhD in biological oceanography in spring 2025, for which she received the Mirikitani Outstanding Dissertation Award. Her dissertation provides baseline ecological descriptions of remote and unexplored habitats of the deep sea, and considers how resilient these habitats are to natural variation and human-induced impacts.

“If I have learned anything through my research as a deep-sea scientist, it is the power of transparent, long-term data in elevating science and protecting important ecosystems,” said Ellis. “I am so excited to witness this through NOAA鈥檚 Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing Program, and I am honored to be working with the international and multistakeholder network of the Arctic Research Program.”

Jonathan Rosen

began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer as a coastal resource manager, and continued this work in Hawaiʻi supporting the restoration of Hawaiian fishponds and monitoring endangered species in the remote atolls of Papahānaumokuākea. He earned his master鈥檚 degree in marine biology as a NSF Graduate Research Fellow studying the impacts of marine heatwaves on fish physiology.

“To me, this feels like a once in lifetime opportunity to expand my experiences and expertise by working alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ecological Services Headquarters,” Rosen said. “Through this fellowship I hope to apply my experience in conservation, research and communication towards the implementation of legislation on national conservation priorities, including the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act.”

Sarah Woo

is currently a PhD candidate in the Natural Resources and Environmental Management Department at 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa focusing on collaborative community-based research, management and governance. Her graduate research is based in Kāneʻohe Bay, working alongside the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve and regional generational lawaiʻa (fishers), marine scientists who work in the Bay, and resource management agencies.

“I feel extremely grateful to have been selected to represent Hawaiʻi as a Knauss Legislative Fellow in Sen. Brian Schatz鈥檚 office focusing on topics such as oceans, climate, fisheries, and water, and assisting with appropriations and science legislation,” said Woo. “Growing up in the Pacific Northwest鈥檚 Washington, I never expected to live and work in Washington, D.C., but am excited for this new adventure to learn about the federal government so that I can come back home to Hawaiʻi after and apply what I have learned to support community needs.”

For more information, .

Growing up on Rapa Nui, Noah Paoa spent his summers camping by the shore, bodyboarding, and exploring the island鈥檚 landscape with his family. A pivotal moment occurred in 2010 when, at 15 years old, a massive earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami warning for the island. Paoa watched the shoreline recede so far it seemed as if the ocean had never been there. This experience highlighted how closely life on an island is tied to the forces of the sea, eventually guiding him toward a historic academic milestone.

Graduating with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in May, Paoa earned a landmark achievement as the first Rapa Nui person to go through the Rapa Nui school system and earn a doctoral degree. While he is careful to honor those who paved the way, Paoa鈥檚 degree in from the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST) is significant personally and for his community.

“Earning this degree is an honor for me, but it is also the reflection of all the work that Rapa Nui people have done so that Rapa Nui students would have the tools to pursue advanced studies,” Paoa said. “I see myself as a testament and example for future Rapa Nui students and perhaps for students of other small island communities.”

Assessing sea level rise threats

Chip Fletcher, professor and dean of SOEST, served as Paoa鈥檚 advisor for both his master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees. Fletcher said Paoa brought an extraordinary combination of determination, discipline and insight to his graduate work.

“Noah has an incredible work ethic and a rare intuition for coastal science,” Fletcher said. “He has the ability to see both the physical processes shaping island shorelines and the deeper cultural meaning of what is at stake. His research reflects years of hard work, careful thinking, and a deep commitment to serving Rapa Nui and other island communities.”

His doctoral research addresses the , such as ceremonial sites, ancestral landscapes and sacred places.

“Most climate research focuses on impacts to infrastructure and ecosystems, but I wanted to show that coastal cultural heritage is just as vulnerable, and that losing these sites would be more than an archaeological loss, it could result in disruption to cultural identity and continuity,” Paoa said.

Cultural pride and responsibility

Growing up with a Rapa Nui father and a German mother who dedicated part of her life to preserving the Rapa Nui language, Paoa grew up surrounded by both cultural pride and a recognition of the responsibility that comes with preserving language, knowledge and identity. He felt a frustration with the island’s extractive academic past, where outside researchers often benefited their own careers without providing tangible benefits to the local people.

“My research provides new modeling tools and regional datasets to support heritage preservation and climate adaptation planning, but I’ve tried to be clear that what I have produced is to inform management and planning, and that decisions must ultimately be guided by descendant communities and grounded in their own cultural protocols,” Paoa shared.

By pursuing earth sciences, beginning as an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon, Paoa found a way to link geological processes to issues that affect his home island.

“I hope this work inspires future generations of Rapa Nui to pursue scientific paths of their own, helping ensure that research on our island increasingly reflects our own voices, perspectives, and priorities,” said Paoa. “This degree isn’t only mine, it belongs to everyone who made the path possible, and my responsibility now is to carry what I’ve learned back home and put it to use for Rapa Nui.”

–By Marcie Grabowski

University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 Associate Professor Mapuana Antonio of the received two national awards from the (APHA) for her impact on Native Hawaiian health and climate justice.

Antonio鈥檚 leadership reflects her commitment to integrating Indigenous knowledge into public health education, research and practice. She mentors students in ethical Indigenous research and ensures her work connects ʻ腻颈苍补 (land) and culture to Native Hawaiian health, fully integrating Indigenous perspectives into the field.

“Receiving these awards from APHA is truly an honor and reflects the collective work of our students and communities,” said Antonio, who serves as associate chair in the . “Indigenous knowledge continues to guide solutions for health, wellbeing, and climate justice, and I鈥檓 inspired by our students who carry this work forward intentionally with cultural grounding and with a deep sense of responsibility to our communities.”

Honoring ancestral knowledge, health equity

As the Queen Liliʻuokalani Endowed Professor in Native Hawaiian Culture, Antonio earned the APHA鈥檚 Emerging Leaders Award from the (ICTHP) section for her dedication to health equity.

“She exemplifies the heart of Native Hawaiian Indigenous health,” nominators said. “Her commitment to health equity has made a lasting impact with, for, and by Native Hawaiian communities and Indigenous peoples worldwide, and her work embodies the holistic approach that is at the core of ICTHP, by honoring ancestral knowledge with contemporary scientific research to restore health, resilience and wellbeing.”

Antonio also received the Student Champions for Climate Justice Award for guiding a multidisciplinary student team, including Melissa Kahili-Heede, Caleb Rivera, Camille McComas, Kiʻilaweau Aweau and M膩koa Miura, in organizing the Climate Justice Through Indigenous Knowledge Symposium in October 2025. The event served as a platform for scholars to address environmental sustainability through traditional practices.

To mark the formal launch of a year-long effort to assess climate vulnerability and build resilience across the Waiʻanae Moku, the Waiʻanae Readiness Review held its first community meeting on April 29, at Kamehameha Schools鈥� Kaiāulu Community Learning Center in Māʻili. The project is led by the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (CRC), headed by Chip Fletcher, dean of the (SOEST), in partnership with the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa Wildfire Research led by Clay Trauernicht, and the of the City and County of Honolulu.

“We are honored to stand with the people of Waiʻanae in this work,” said Fletcher. “Climate resilience is not something the University can define alone from the outside; it must be grown through pilina—with communities, government partners, agencies, and researchers working together in trust and shared kuleana (responsibility). The ʻike and lived experience of Waiʻanae families, farmers, practitioners, and leaders are essential to understanding the hazards facing the moku and identifying the actions that will protect people, place, and future generations. Guided by aloha ʻāina, this effort recognizes that caring for the land and ocean is inseparable from caring for one another.”

Identifying flood, wildfire hazards

CRC researcher Kayla Yamamoto presented on compound flooding and invited community members to share photographs and firsthand experiences with flooding events to help validate scientific models. Attendees also participated in open discussion, sharing the most pressing challenges and needs across the district.

The review is structured around two committees comprising community members, farmers, government officials, military installation representatives, technical experts, policymakers and non-profit organizations. The committees will meet six times over the course of the project, contributing their manaʻo (thought or idea) and expertise to guide the work.

CRC and the 糖心Vlog官方 Wildfire team are developing climate projections scaled specifically to Waiʻanae, covering heat, precipitation/drought, compound flooding, coastal flooding and erosion, high wave run-up, groundwater inundation and wildfire. Given that wildfire risk is severe across the entire moku, the project鈥檚 focus is not on identifying where danger exists, but on determining what actions can be taken to address it.

More than 90 committee members, community members and project team representatives attended the meeting, which opened with a pule (blessing) led by Nohea Stevens. Presentations from Fletcher, Trauernicht, Captain White of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Susan Veazy of the Office of Local Defense and Community Cooperation outlined the origins of the project鈥檚 funding, the process it will follow, and the overarching goal of securing additional resources for priority projects in the moku (district).

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As climate change intensifies extreme weather and environmental conditions across the country, about 65% of U.S. adults are concerned that climate change will negatively affect their personal health, according to a new study published in .

The study, a collaboration between the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 and the , analyzed responses from 6,888 adults who participated in the Health Information National Trends Survey.

The study’s co-authors include Alex Ortega, dean of the Thompson school, and Jim Stimpson, a professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

How Americans view climate risks

Researchers found that trust in science, political views and personal environmental experiences shape how people perceive the health risks of climate change.

“This study shows that concern about the health impacts of climate change is driven less by who people are and more by how they think and what they experience,” said Ortega. “Trust in science, political perspectives and lived experiences like extreme weather shape whether people recognize climate change as a health threat, which in turn influences public support for environmental and health policies.”

How we communicate about climate and health affects everyone.
—Jim Stimpson

Individuals who reported higher trust in science were more likely to express concern about climate-related health impacts than those with lower levels of trust.

Political views also influenced responses. Compared to respondents who identified as politically liberal, moderates and conservatives were less likely to report concern about climate change harming their health.

Personal environmental experiences further shaped perceptions. Respondents who experienced extreme weather in their neighborhoods were more likely to express concern. Similarly, those worried about outdoor air quality were more likely to perceive climate-related health risks.

The findings suggest public health messaging should focus on building trust in science, reaching people across political perspectives and connecting climate change to local conditions people can directly experience. Researchers said that approach could help public health agencies and policymakers keep communities informed and engaged as climate policies evolve.

“How we communicate about climate and health affects everyone,” said Stimpson. “When messages don’t build trust or feel personally relevant, people are less likely to recognize these risks or support policies that protect public health.”

For decades, scientists have worked to improve predictions of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), a climate powerhouse that can cause droughts, flooding, marine heatwaves and more around the world. Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa a study showing that they can skillfully predict El Niño and La Niña 15 months ahead of time using only observations of the ocean surface temperature and height—no complex climate model needed.

“We found that it can predict El Niño and La Niña surprisingly well, with useful skill up to about 15 months ahead,” said Yuxin Wang, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher with the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “Accurately predicting ENSO more than a year in advance is important because it can provide early warning, allowing communities, governments and resource managers to take actions and make adaptations to reduce the potential impacts from El Niño and La Niña.”

“Our simpler, data-driven empirical climate model, built only from ocean observations related to two core climate memories known for over 50 years, achieves ENSO forecast skill comparable to, and in some cases better than, many of today鈥檚 more complex climate models and leading AI-based approaches,” added Wang.

Building on past discoveries

Klaus Wyrtki, a pioneering oceanographer at SOEST in the 1960s through 1990s, was the first to show that sea level changes can reveal heat build-up in the tropical Pacific, which led him to propose using tide gauge observations to predict El Niño. Klaus Hasselmann, a German oceanographer and Nobel laureate, showed that the ocean can retain a memory of past climate conditions through large-scale temperature patterns, including sea surface temperature patterns outside the tropical Pacific that can still influence ENSO.

Building on these two principles, the SOEST team developed the “Wyrtki-CSLIM,” short for Wyrtki CycloStationary Linear Inverse Model, a computer model to predict ENSO.

Predicting future ENSO

The Wyrtki-CSLIM currently predicts the development of a strong El Niño, more than 2°C warmer than normal over the equatorial eastern Pacific, toward the end of this year. This up-to-date is available online at the 糖心Vlog官方 Sea Level Center.

“Our Wyrtki model is predicting a stronger El Niño than most of the other statistical models, and it is in line with the much more sophisticated dynamical models,” said Matthew Widlansky, study co-author and associate director of the 糖心Vlog官方 Sea Level Center. “However, it is important to note that all models have uncertainties, and the climate impacts of each El Niño event are different.”

This new research also offers a clear direction for other ENSO forecasting systems.

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University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa professor David Ho was selected as a lead author for the on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). The report will give guidance to countries regarding how to estimate and report the emissions they manage through those methods as part of their national greenhouse gas inventories.

CDR and CCUS are tools to help countries achieve their emissions and climate targets, and the diversity of approaches to remove and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere are growing fast.

“However, countries currently lack consistent, scientifically rigorous guidance on estimating and reporting the emissions they manage through these technologies in their national greenhouse gas inventories,” said Ho. “Without that, it’s very difficult to hold anyone accountable or to determine whether CDR and CCUS are actually delivering on their promises. This methodology report is about building the foundation to get the accounting right so that progress in CDR and CCUS is real and verifiable.”

The current federal administration withdrew the U.S. from the IPCC process earlier this year, creating a gap in U.S. expert representation in the IPCC. An observer organization nominated Ho so that U.S.-based expertise could still contribute to this report.

“The IPCC has brought together lead authors from a wide range of disciplines and geographies, and the conversations are already substantive and rigorous,” Ho said. “There’s a real shared sense that this report matters, that it will shape how governments think about CDR and CCUS for years to come. It’s a significant commitment, but one I think is genuinely worth making.”

The first lead author meeting was held in Rome, Italy, in April. More than 150 experts, selected by the IPCC Task Force Bureau, are participating in the writing process.

For more information, .

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers revealed that Waikīkī is facing a fundamental shift in flood hazards as sea levels rise—transitioning from a flooding that is driven primarily by rainfall to events increasingly dominated by tidal processes. The team identified two key pathways that will become more significant with sea-level rise, both of which will increase public exposure to sewage-contaminated waters. The study was published in .

“Our findings make clear that current flood management strategies for Waikīkī are incomplete,” said Kayla Yamamoto, climate modeling analyst at the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “Most planning focuses on surface damage and economic loss from storms, but largely ignores the contamination dimension. Our results show that contaminated flooding will become more frequent, more extensive, and eventually a daily occurrence rather than a storm-driven one. There are currently no effective management strategies in place to address this.”

Simulating future scenarios

The team used an open-source, physics-based flood model to simulate how multiple flood sources interact in Waikīkī. The team used an advanced flood model that, unlike previous models, integrates all sources of flooding—rain, tides, underground water behavior, and storm drains—to provide a single, complete view of the hazard

“What we found is that during extreme rainfall like we鈥檝e been experiencing, high tides and elevated water levels in the Ala Wai can combine to create conditions where contaminated water flows back into low-lying streets and sidewalks,” said Shellie Habel, study co-author and coastal geologist with the Coastal Research Collaborative and . “As sea level rises, it will take less extreme rainfall and tides to cause similar flooding in the future.”

The two key pathways they identified were: storm drain backflow, where polluted water from the Ala Wai Canal is forced into streets and public spaces in Waikīkī through drainage systems, and groundwater emergence, which brings sewage and other contaminants from aging and leaking sewage infrastructure to the surface.

The model simulations show that storm drain backflow is projected to occur even when there is no rainfall:

• 1 foot of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during extreme tides, even without rain.
• 2 feet of sea-level rise: Storm drain backflow occurs during moderate daily tidal conditions.
• 4 feet of sea-level rise: Groundwater emergence (bringing sewage to the surface) begins to occur without rain.

Researchers compared their model simulations against tide gauges, canal water level sensors, groundwater monitoring wells, and photographs of street-level flooding during three real recent storm events, including a major 50-year Kona storm in December 2021, a moderate storm in April 2023, and a five-year Kona storm in May 2024.

Implications for Waikīkī, beyond

The Ala Wai Canal is one of the most polluted waterways in Hawaiʻi, containing sewage, heavy metals and pathogens such as Vibrio and MRSA. Exposure to these waters is a documented risk, with MRSA infections linked to Hawaiʻi waters already contributing to an estimated 200 deaths per year in the state. Because Waikīkī is a primary economic engine where residents and visitors are in constant contact with coastal waters, the anticipated flooding represents a growing public health and environmental crisis.

Many coastal cities around the world rely on estuarine waterways to drain their stormwater, and face the same combination of aging infrastructure, rising seas and contaminated waters.

“Our modeling framework is transferable, and we hope this study serves as a wake-up call to modernize stormwater and wastewater infrastructure, integrate contamination risk into coastal flood planning, and build early warning systems before these thresholds are crossed,” Yamamoto said.

Internationally acclaimed poet and Marshall Islands climate envoy Kathy Jet帽il-Kijiner, who is serving as the Spring 2026 Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补, will deliver a keynote lecture and poetry performance on April 1 at Orvis Auditorium. The free, public event invites the campus and broader community to hear directly from one of the Pacific鈥檚 leading voices on climate and justice.

As this year鈥檚 Inouye Chair, Jet帽il-Kijiner is engaging the community on urgent issues shaping democratic life. Her lecture explores how the climate crisis in the Marshall Islands is inseparable from histories of colonialism, nuclear testing and displacement, offering a powerful, Pacific-centered perspective that connects lived experience to global climate conversations.

“As a writer, performer and diplomat, she moves across disciplines while creating art that brings people together,” said Peter Arnade, dean of the . “She offers a vital Pacific voice against the violence of the past and present. She reminds us what poetry can do, and why the humanities matter in a dehumanizing age.”

Jet帽il-Kijiner currently serves as a climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, where she works on international climate diplomacy and national adaptation policy.

“Kathy Jet帽il-Kijiner is a force in culture and climate diplomacy,” said Joyce Mariano, chair of the . “She has ignited audiences with poetry and performance from Majuro to Suva, Brisbane to Bonn. Her work will resonate deeply in Hawaiʻi, and we are thrilled to have her in residence.”

Jet帽il-Kijiner is co-teaching a class at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 and holding regular workshops with students. She will also headline a community arts event at Native Books Hawaiʻi on April 17 at 6 p.m.

Inouye chair

The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals, established by the late Senator Daniel Inouye and his wife, is jointly administered by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 and the .

This event is produced in collaboration with Hawaiʻi Contemporary and in partnership with the 糖心Vlog官方 Better Tomorrow Speaker Series, a joint venture of 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools and 糖心Vlog官方 Foundation. For more information or contact btss@hawaii.edu.

From 135 mph wind gusts on Hawaiʻi Island to 62 inches of rainfall on Maui, a recent Kona low system brought weather conditions usually reserved for major hurricanes to the state. These extreme totals were captured by the University of 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 Hawaiʻi Mesonet, a weather monitoring system that is mapping localized threats across areas that previously had no data available. 糖心Vlog官方鈥檚 Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal team created a report on the storm.

Alongside immense flooding, the storm brought destructive winds. The Hawaiʻi Mesonet station at Kaiāulu Puʻuwaʻawaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island recorded a maximum wind gust of 135.4 mph. Winds were briefly sustained at speeds equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, averaging 105 mph over a 15-minute period.

Maui was hit the hardest, with peak rainfall totals reaching 62 inches in localized regions. Hawaiʻi Island also saw heavy precipitation, with areas recording 16–32 inches, and isolated spots also nearing 62 inches. Both Kauaʻi and Oʻahu recorded maximum totals ranging 16–32 inches. Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi experienced peak amounts 4–16 inches.

The upper elevations of Haleakalā experienced the most extreme rainfall, with 33.2 inches falling during the 24-hr period beginning March 13 at 8:30 a.m., nearly double the highest 24-hr rainfall previously recorded there. That amount is much greater than the NOAA‘s official estimate of 19.7 inches in 24 hours for the 1000-year storm (the rainfall amount with a 0.1% chance of being equalled or exceeded in any given year). Rainfall was even higher at the Kuiki Hawaiʻi Mesonet station on the east rim of Haleakalā crater with 36 inches falling in 24 hours beginning at 6 p.m. on March 13. This amount exceeded the NOAA 24-hr 1000-year extreme rainfall estimate of 28.5 inches.

“Before the project began, Hawaiʻi was one of only 20 states without a comprehensive statewide weather monitoring system, meaning we previously had no access to information in many of these areas,” said Tom Giambelluca, Hawaiʻi Mesonet project lead, and former director of the 糖心Vlog官方 Water Resources Research Center. “Now, the system is constantly collecting data on rainfall, soil moisture, and other weather variables that can tell us in real time if an area is highly susceptible to fires or flooding, which ultimately allows us to be as prepared as possible”

To make this information accessible, 糖心Vlog官方 launched a real-time weather dashboard offering public access to live weather data from more than 70 monitoring stations currently active across the state. The dashboard updates data every 15 minutes, allowing users to view current, localized conditions including temperature, rainfall, wind, humidity, solar radiation and soil moisture. This creates one of the most comprehensive and timely weather resources available in Hawaiʻi.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo will lead a new $1.2 million, three-year grant funded by NASA to better understand how 贬补飞补颈ʻ颈鈥檚 coastlines can withstand climate change while expanding hands-on research and workforce development opportunities for students across the 10-campus 糖心Vlog官方 System.

John Burns, an associate professor of will co-lead the project with Haunani Kane, assistant professor of at the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 .

“We are very excited to connect students from across the 糖心Vlog官方 system through applied research experiences that help build educational pathways into careers in science and conservation,” said Burns.

The team will study how sea level rise and warming oceans are affecting coral reefs and nearshore areas. Students will learn satellite mapping, drone surveys, reef modeling and data analysis. They will also work with faculty, community partners and NASA scientists.

Burns directs 糖心Vlog官方 贬颈濒辞鈥檚 , where he creates detailed three-dimensional maps of reefs. Those maps show how storms, bleaching and human activity change reef structure and health over time.

—By Susan Enright

A team of researchers are calling for a new generation of carefully designed ocean iron fertilization (OIF) field trials to determine whether this marine carbon dioxide (CO2) removal method can safely and effectively leverage a natural ocean process to pull CO2 out of the atmosphere. Led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the authors, including two from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, argue that larger, longer studies with rigorous monitoring and clear “go/no-go” safeguards, are needed to accurately assess OIF as a potential long-term CO2 storage solution. The paper was .

“The ocean science community must explore all possible means for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and identify any unintended ecological consequences,” said David Karl, co-author, professor of and director of the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “Humans continue to pollute our planet; the time for bold action is now.”

Past OIF field studies found that relatively tiny additions of iron in some parts of the ocean can stimulate the growth of small, plant-like organisms known as phytoplankton that live in the surface ocean. These organisms use sunlight and CO2 dissolved in seawater to grow and multiply, which in turn pulls more CO2 out of the atmosphere into the surface ocean in the process. However, those early experiments were not designed to assess the efficacy, durability and feasibility of OIF, nor did they specifically evaluate the broader ecological and biogeochemical impacts of large-scale additions of iron.

The next generation of trials would need to capture phytoplankton bloom development, and the process of bloom decay, the fate of newly produced carbon, and any potential ecosystem impacts. The authors propose experiments lasting more than 3–6 months and spanning an area of about 1,000 square kilometers, with an explicit requirement to document a return to natural conditions after iron additions end.

The authors suggested the Gulf of Alaska in the Northeast Pacific as a promising location based on the region’s low-iron conditions, the availability of decades of research in the area at Ocean Station Papa, evidence of natural iron-driven blooms in the past, and physical characteristics that may help keep the iron-fertilized patch from dispersing too rapidly.

Traditional Hawaiian fishponds (loko iʻa) are emerging as a model for climate resilience, according to a study from the University of Hawaiʻi at at 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (HIMB). The research, published in , revealed Indigenous aquaculture systems effectively shield fish populations from the negative impacts of climate change, demonstrating resilience and bolstering local food security.

“Our study is one of the first in academic literature to compare the temperatures between loko iʻa and the surrounding bay and how these temperature differences may be reflected in potential fish productivity,” said lead author Annie Innes-Gold, a recent PhD graduate from 糖心Vlog官方. “We found that although rising water temperature may lead to declines in fish populations, loko iʻa fish populations were more resilient (fish populations did not decline as much as fish populations in the surrounding estuary) to rising water temperatures than those in the surrounding estuary. This result is likely due to the temperature regulation that the loko iʻa receives from freshwater input, both at the surface and below the ground.”

The authors found that the combined benefits of fisheries regulations, nutrient flow restoration, and restocking were found to offset some of the potentially negative effects of warming on fish populations and substantially increase short– and long–term estuarine and loko iʻa fish density.

Ancient tech for modern management

Innes-Gold worked with an interdisciplinary team that included university researchers, resource managers and loko iʻa practitioners.

“These findings highlight how important freshwater inputs are as a source of temperature regulation,” said Innes-Gold. “They also support the importance of biocultural restoration in terms of enhancing fish populations and increasing social–ecological resilience in a changing climate.”

For Hawaiʻi, the findings demonstrate the value that Indigenous knowledge and systems have on guiding modern science.

“Loko iʻa are a system unique to Hawaiʻi, and their restoration can have wide–reaching benefits including cultural preservation, education, healthy ecosystems, food security, and now—from what we found in our study—also climate resilience,” said Innes-Gold.

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Four postgraduate fellows from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa were selected to work directly with Hawaiʻi-based organizations through the (Hawaiʻi Sea Grant) E. Gordon Grau Coastal and Marine Resource Management and Policy Fellowship Program (Grau Fellowship).

“We’re thrilled to mark the sixth year of the Grau Fellowship, which has grown to include 18 Grau Fellows in this newest cohort,” said Maya Walton, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant assistant director for research and fellowships. “The host offices, dedicated mentors, and Hawaiʻi Sea Grant staff and faculty are all collaborating to provide the practical training and experience necessary to prepare the next generation of professionals working at the interface of science, policy and resource management.”

Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)

Olivia Boucher will focus on DAR鈥檚 Holomua Marine Initiative, building and expanding on the work of past fellows who designed island-based management strategies and community-based monitoring plans for this initiative. Boucher will focus her efforts on community engagement, policy research, and cross-sector collaboration that will help bridge science, the public and decision-making. Boucher holds a master of environmental management from 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 (NREM).

Department of Land and Natural Resources Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands

Leigh Engel will be supporting the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands in managing and protecting Hawaiʻi鈥檚 shoreline resources. She will be implementing place-based approaches that mirror natural systems to address coastal erosion and hazard mitigation, while advancing long-term goals of conserving beaches, dunes, estuaries and other vital ecosystems. Engel earned a master of science in NREM from 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa, where she was also a Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center Scholar.

City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resilience

Maddy McKenna will be working with the Coastal and Water Program team to implement the city鈥檚 adaptation strategy, honoring both Western science and Indigenous ecological knowledge in developing people-centered solutions for Oʻahu鈥檚 threatened coastlines. McKenna earned a master of arts in climate and society from Columbia University, and a PhD in from 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa.

Matt Miller will work on cutting-edge climate mitigation strategies such as managed retreat and to support and enhance the city鈥檚 partnerships with community-based organizations. His goal is to use his experience researching severe and shifting weather in the tropics to help build a resilient Oʻahu through planning and outreach measures. Miller earned a master of science in atmospheric science from 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa.

The paid fellowship, named in honor of Emeritus Professor E. Gordon Grau, Hawaiʻi Sea Grant鈥檚 visionary former director, provides early career professionals the opportunity to obtain relevant resource management and policy experience in Hawaiʻi and, for many, to pursue career opportunities in their home state.

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–By Cindy Knapman

A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa project aimed at boosting climate resilience on Oʻahu鈥檚 Waiʻanae coast has been awarded a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Defense鈥檚 Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. Led by the (CRC) in the (SOEST), the “Building Climate Resilience in Waiʻanae Moku” initiative will address escalating threats from natural hazards. This funding will support efforts to safeguard communities and critical military infrastructure in the Lualualei Annex, ensuring a more resilient future for the geographically vulnerable leeward region.

“Located in a region highly vulnerable to wildland fires, extreme heat, drought, coastal erosion, flooding, and compound hazard events, Waiʻanae Moku faces growing risks that jeopardize community resilience, transportation access, and effective military operations,” said Juliette Budge, project lead and operations project manager with CRC. “This project integrates cutting-edge climate hazard modeling with robust community engagement to build resilience across both military and civilian landscapes.”

“A hallmark of the project is its inclusive, participatory approach,” said Chip Fletcher, SOEST dean and director of CRC. “The funding specifically supports the creation of two key advisory bodies that will bring together installation leadership, local agencies, and, most importantly, community representatives. This structure ensures that adaptation strategies reflect shared priorities and are grounded in local, place-based knowledge.”

18-month initiative

The 18-month initiative will culminate in an installation readiness assessment, prioritized adaptation projects, and a comprehensive action plan that enhances both defense capabilities and regional resilience.

CRC researchers will develop high-resolution computer models simulating future wildfire behavior, rainfall-induced flooding, groundwater inundation, coastal erosion, and wave-driven flooding under various coastal flooding scenarios. These models will identify threatened infrastructure, assess risk timelines, and inform adaptation strategies. Results will be shared through an interactive geospatial platform and maps that can guide future decision-making, planning, and investment.

Engaging communities

Broader engagement with surrounding neighborhoods will ensure that the final action plan is a collective effort, reflecting the shared needs of the region. By integrating local knowledge with scientific data, CRC and its partners, including Clay Trauernicht, wildfire expert with 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补鈥檚 鈥檚 Ecosystems and Landcare Program, will co-develop a comprehensive plan that directly addresses the shared vulnerabilities of the region鈥檚 interconnected roads, utilities and emergency response systems, allowing communities to be better prepared to adapt to and recover from future climate disruptions.

The project is modeled after the Koʻolau Poko Readiness Review, a collaborative effort between the City and County of Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency and the Coastal Research Collaborative that was recognized with an Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the Hawaiʻi Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

The lyrics of traditional Okinawan songs were found to record past climate and geological history of the Ryukyu Islands (now called Okinawa Prefecture, Japan), according to a new study by a University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Earth scientist and fellow Ryukyuan music practitioners. Their study was published in and was selected as an Editor’s Choice article by the journal’s publisher.

“This paper is a proof-of-concept for using classical Ryukyuan music as records of Indigenous knowledge,” said Justin Higa, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in the at the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “This work aims to show how science and culture are not two distinct entities, but can be combined to teach both Indigenous arts and Indigenous science.”

Bridge between science, culture

The study assessed a repertoire of Indigenous Ryukyuan classical music that documented the 18th–century ocean voyages of envoys from the Ryukyu Kingdom and the winds, waves, and volcanoes they observed along the way. With Higa’s geologic background and the musical expertise of master instructors June Uyeunten and Kenton Odo, the authors worked together to combine Indigenous Ryukyuan knowledge in song with Western scientific knowledge in the scientific literature to find where the knowledge matched.

The authors are all classical Ryukyuan music practitioners with the Ryukyu Koten Afuso Ryu Ongaku Kenkyu Choichi Kai USA, Hawaiʻi Chapter, a music school with groups on Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi and in Los Angeles.

Matching ancient observations with modern data

By comparing these observations with 20th– to 21st–century scientific literature, they found wind directions in the songs match seasonal changes following the East Asian Monsoon season and that rough ocean conditions may be related to Pacific Ocean circulation patterns and typhoons in the past and currently. They also interpreted a record of an 18th–century volcanic eruption on an isolated island.

“Indigenous knowledge, tied to the land someone is most familiar with, is one avenue for applying place-based learning to make complex environmental science more accessible to general learners,” said Higa. “Identifying sources of Indigenous knowledge, by the knowledge holders/practitioners themselves, is a unique opportunity to make new connections between art and science, improve how we connect science to the daily lives of Indigenous Peoples, and ensure the correct interpretation and usage of Indigenous knowledge.”

With 2025 marking the 125th anniversary of Okinawan immigration to Hawaiʻi, incorporating geoscience and his Okinawan heritage in this publication is especially meaningful to Higa.

“I hope this work can help connect the descendants of Okinawan immigrants in Hawaiʻi, who generations later, may not speak the language, with the arts and knowledge recorded in these songs,” said Higa. “More of these descendants may then be inspired to become scientists or Indigenous practitioners, or both.”

In the future, the authors hope to catalog more classical and folk Ryukyuan songs to document additional historical records of environmental science, including water resources, ocean life, and flora and fauna.

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s (HIMB) developed a plan to prepare Moku o Loʻe (Coconut Island) for predicted sea-level rise, providing a template for how other islands can do the same. With its comprehensive Mālama ʻĀina Plan for Moku o Loʻe, HIMB is charting a new course for environmental stewardship at 糖心Vlog官方. Grounded in Indigenous knowledge and practices (ʻike kupuna), the plan positions the university as a global leader in sustainable land and ocean management, offering an example for other islands grappling with environmental challenges.

The plan provides a holistic framework for the care and management of Moku o Loʻe, a 29-acre island in Kāneʻohe Bay that serves as HIMB’s home. Moving beyond conventional conservation, the plan is framed around Indigenous stewardship principles, particularly the eight considerations of pono (values-based) stewardship developed by Hawaiʻi’s ʻAha Kiole (people鈥檚 councils) in the pre-aliʻi (chief) era. It addresses critical issues such as shoreline erosion and sea-level rise through both near- and long-term strategies, while emphasizing biocultural stewardship practices to restore a sense of place, expand cultural and physical access, and enrich educational and research legacies.

“This plan envisions our stewardship of the island and the science we do here as fundamentally interdependent and valued,” said HIMB Director Megan Donahue. “It’s about ensuring that our research and education not only advance understanding of the ocean but also contribute to the health and resilience of our ʻāina and our community for generations to come.”

Stewardship walk

糖心Vlog官方 President Wendy Hensel visited Moku o Loʻe on September 5, to learn more about the institute’s groundbreaking research and new stewardship plan. The visit began with a cultural and historical briefing from HIMB Associate Professor Kawika Winter before Hensel was greeted on the island with a welcoming oli (chant) and lei from the HIMB community. Joined by representatives from the Castle Foundation, which supported the plan’s creation, she was briefed on the Mālama ʻĀina Plan, a first-of-its-kind template for island resilience.

“The work happening on Moku o Loʻe is truly at the forefront of marine science, and the Mālama ʻĀina Plan provides a powerful framework for its future,” Hensel said. “It is inspiring to see how our faculty and students are blending cutting-edge research with vital educational outreach and a deep respect for place. This plan is a prime example of how the University of Hawaiʻi is leading the way in developing resilient, culturally grounded solutions to global challenges.”

Collaborative effort

The plan was led by the Principal Investigators Phoebe White ASLA from the School of Architecture and Priyam Das PhD, from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and included the active participation of HIMB faculty, staff and students; the Kūpuna Council for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR); and other respected leaders in the Native Hawaiian and local community. This collaborative approach, guided by cultural practitioners and subject matter experts, allowed for the exploration of place-based climate adaptation strategies that are responsive to Hawaiʻi’s unique context.

“Our work at NERR has consistently shown the power of weaving Indigenous Knowledge with university science,” said Winter, who is also NERR director. “The Mālama ʻĀina Plan exemplifies this synergy, demonstrating how community-driven stewardship, deeply informed by ancestral wisdom, can lead to effective and sustainable management of our resources. This is how we bring ʻāina momona—abundant land—back to our communities.”

Moku o Loʻe hosts a living laboratory for biocultural restoration, where research, education and community engagement are inextricably linked to the well-being of the island and its surrounding marine environment.

“Our kuleana, our responsibility, is to care for this special place,” said Aimee Sato, HIMB stewardship coordinator. “The Mālama ʻĀina Plan provides us with a clear roadmap, guiding our daily actions and long-term goals. It’s about perpetuating the Hawaiʻi values of mālama ʻāina and aloha, ensuring that the people and community of Moku o Loʻe thrive.”

–By Maria Frostic

By 2080 rising sea levels could cause seasonal waves to reach Ahu Tongariki, the iconic ceremonial platform that is part of the Rapa Nui National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, according to a study published in the by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi
at Mānoa. This coastal flooding also threatens 51 cultural assets in the area, including Rapa Nui鈥檚 world-renowned moai statues.

“This research reveals a critical threat to the living culture and livelihood of Rapa Nui,” said Noah Paoa, lead author of the study and doctoral student in the in the 糖心Vlog官方 Mānoa (SOEST). “For the community, these sites are an essential part of reaffirming identity and support the revitalization of traditions. Economically, they are the backbone of the island鈥檚 tourism industry. Failure to address this threat could ultimately endanger the island鈥檚 UNESCO world heritage site status.”

“As we work to understand the impacts of future sea level rise, we provide information that not only enables us to maintain safe, functional spaces and infrastructure, but also to support thriving communities,” said Chip Fletcher, co-author of the study and dean of SOEST. “That means we must document threats to culturally significant places and assets, and develop plans to preserve and protect what matters to communities.”

Computer simulations reveal vulnerabilities

Paoa and his team built a detailed digital twin of the study site and used advanced computer models to simulate the wave environment along the coastline. They then mapped the projected flooding caused by waves under future sea level rise scenarios. The flood extent was then overlaid on geospatial layers containing the location of cultural assets provided to the team by local partners, which allowed the researchers to identify the cultural assets that will be flooded.

“Unfortunately, from a scientific standpoint, the findings are not surprising,” said Paoa. “We know that sea level rise poses a direct threat to coastlines globally. The critical question was not if the site would be impacted, but how soon and how severely. Our work aimed to set potential timelines by which we could expect the impacts to happen. Finding that waves could reach Ahu Tongariki by 2080 provides the specific, urgent data needed to incentivize community discussion and planning for the future.”

The challenges facing Rapa Nui mirror those in other coastal areas of the world, including Hawaiʻi.

“While Hawaiʻi is invested in protecting coastal infrastructure from sea level rise, the irreplaceable coastal cultural heritage sites in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific face the same urgent threat,” Paoa added. “Our research in Rapa Nui serves as a vital blueprint, demonstrating how we can use science to forecast risks to sacred places, such as coastal heiau and ancestral burial sites. By developing and applying these methods we hope we can help protect what is precious to the people of Hawaiʻi—provided such work is guided by, and deemed appropriate by, the Native Hawaiian community.”

Paoa is now using available data on coastal flooding to examine potential sea level rise impacts on cultural assets in Hawaiʻi. In the future, he and the research team, in collaboration with local partners in Rapa Nui, plan to further investigate potential impacts of sea level rise on the island鈥檚 coastal cultural assets and examine adaptation and mitigation efforts to safeguard the cultural heritage.

A new study from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 revealed that a lesser-known Pacific climate pattern can bring heavier spring rains—and a higher risk of flooding—to parts of Hawaiʻi, while also playing a key role in worsening droughts during dry phases. An example of this happened in the spring (March–May) of 2018, in which this climate pattern contributed to an extensively rainy season.

Most people know about El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is known to have a significant impact on climate across the Pacific, including Hawaiʻi, and adjacent continents. However, new research led by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 atmospheric scientists revealed that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), another climate pattern that operates in the eastern Pacific Ocean, plays a major role in the variability of rainfall in Hawaiʻi. Their study was published in the .

They determined that in spring, a “positive” PMM state precipitates extensive rainfall across the state, specifically, greater rainfall throughout the islands occurs as cold fronts move through. Additionally, whether the positive state occurs in winter or spring, the result is that the leeward sides of the Hawaiian Islands experience an increase in extreme rainfall events, suggesting a heightened risk of floods. Their analysis also showed that a “negative” state of the PMM corresponded with reduced daily rainfall over windward sides of the islands, potentially exacerbating drought occurrences.

Population growth, increased demand for water

As the state of Hawaiʻi experiences population growth, the demand increases for water for drinking, food production, agriculture, recreation, construction, medical uses and more.

“This uncertainty in interannual rainfall, together with the increasing demand for water, requires us to better understand the relationship between rainfall and climate variability. We aim for our research to empower our communities with climate and weather information,” said Pao-Shin Chu, study co-author, professor of in the 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 (SOEST), and Hawaiʻi State Climatologist.

During the positive state of the PMM, weaker trade winds in the northeast Pacific Ocean between Hawaiʻi and Baja California occur along with increased sea surface temperatures. During the “negative state,” stronger trade winds and cooler surface temperatures prevail.

Chu and lead author Bo-Yi Lu, who was an atmospheric sciences doctoral student in SOEST at the time of this research, performed diagnostic analyses using a combination of actual weather and sea surface observations, and weather model-generated data to determine how these patterns affect rainfall variation.

“Our study suggests that although El Niño emerges as the primary driver of winter rainfall variability in Hawaiʻi, the Pacific Meridional Mode has a pivotal role in spring rainfall, particularly for Maui and the Island of Hawaiʻi,” said Chu.

“Importantly, our analysis disentangles the respective roles of ENSO and the PMM in driving rainfall variability across seasons and types of weather disturbance in Hawaiʻi,” said Lu. “These findings not only deepen our understanding of regional climate dynamics but also offer valuable insights for water resource management and disaster preparedness in Hawaiʻi and beyond.”

—By Marcie Grabowski

A new real-time dashboard launched by the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 offers public access to live weather data from nearly 70 monitoring stations across the state, marking a major milestone in the Hawaiʻi Mesonet project. The launch coincides with Wildfire Awareness Month and represents a pivotal moment in the effort to make climate data available to the public.

Hawaiʻi鈥檚 diverse geography and microclimates present unique challenges that require precise monitoring to accurately capture weather events. Annual rainfall in parts of Maui, for example, can vary by more than 140 inches within a single mile. The Hawaiʻi Mesonet鈥檚 data has the potential to inform planning and decision-making in emergency management, agriculture, water resource, conservation and many other sectors.

Developed by an interdisciplinary team of scientists at 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补 and the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, the project aims to deploy 100 high-tech weather stations to provide critical data for forecasting, disaster response and improving climate resilience. The dashboard is expected to play a critical role in supporting wildfire and flood early warning systems, particularly as climate-related disasters are expected to become more frequent and severe.

• Access the dashboard

The dashboard allows users to view current weather conditions at stations spanning the Hawaiian Islands, including temperature, rainfall, wind, humidity, solar radiation and soil moisture. The real-time data is updated every 15 minutes, creating one of the most comprehensive and timely weather data resources available in the state.

“This dashboard represents years of effort to build a system that鈥檚 tailored to Hawaiʻi鈥檚 unique needs,” said Tom Giambelluca, Hawaiʻi Mesonet project lead, long-time professor in the , and former director of the 糖心Vlog官方 (WRRC) “It鈥檚 not just about data—it鈥檚 about giving our communities the tools to adapt and respond.”

The launch comes as federal agencies such as the National Weather Service and NOAA face data removal and staffing cuts under the Trump administration. With gaps in data availability growing, the Hawaiʻi Mesonet system is poised to become a key source of reliable, localized weather intelligence.

Data from the system is stored in Hawaiʻi Climate Data Portal (HCDP), which is available to the public and is used to create recently launched new wildfire risk maps and other climate maps. The HCDP pulls data from multiple sources, including the Hawaiʻi Mesonet and as well as other federal datasets.

“The real concern is that most of these federal datasets will no longer be available in the near future鈥攎aking the Hawaiʻi Mesonet and the HCDP the sole resource for real time weather and climate information in the state,” Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center University Consortium Director Ryan Longman said. “A big uncertainty is how the state will fill critical funding gaps left by the federal government to support these important efforts.”

For more information, visit the Hawaiʻi Mesonet website.